In David’s prayer for protection he coins a phrase which aptly characterizes the true condition of all mankind. He says, “For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep!” Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jesus also taught us that the origin of our problem is a problem of the heart. He said, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside. But how does he get in there? Simple! An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out. Sin, like the worn, begins in the heart and works out through a person’s thoughts, words, and actions.

The New Covenant instructs us regarding our deepest need. Ezekiel 36:26-27 says, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

David wasn’t just commenting on the condition of his enemy. He knew the source of his own sin was within as well. When he was confronted with his great sin against God, he confessed and prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Chuck
But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? (Psalm 56:3-4)